Raja Ravi Verma(1848-1906)

The Great Artist was born in Kilimanoor Palace as the son of Umamba Thampuratti and Neelakandan Bhattathiripad. He started drawing on the palace walls using charcoal at the age of seven years. His uncle Raja Raja Varma caught the talent of the child and gave introductory lessons on painting. At the age of 14, Ayilyam Thirunal Maharaja took him to Travancore Palace and he was taught water painting by the palace painter Rama Swamy Naidu. After 3 years a British painter Theodor Jenson taught him oil painting.
Most of his paintings are based on Hindu epic tale and characters. In 1873 he won the First Prize at the Madras Painting Exhibition. He became a world distinguished Indian painter after winning in 1873 Vienna Exhibition.

Professional life-Raja Ravi Varma became ppular after he won an award for an exhibition of his paintings at Vienna in 1873[1] . He travelled all over India in search of subject. He usually modeled Hindu Goddesses on South Indian women, whom he determined beautiful. Ravi Varma is specially famous for his paintings displaying episodes from the story of Dushyanta and Shakuntala, and Nala and Damayanti, from the Mahabharata. Ravi Varma's paintings of legendary characters has become a part of the Indian subjects of the epics. He is frequently criticized for being too vulgar and emotional in his style. However his work remains very recommend in India.

Prominent works-The following is a list of the outstanding works of Ravi Varma.

*Lady Lost in Thought
* Damayanti Talking to a Swan
* Shakuntala
* The Orchestra
* Arjuna and Subhadra
* Victory of Meghanada
* The Heartbroken
* Swarbat Player
* Village Belle
* Lord Krishna as Ambassador
* Jatayu, a bird devotee of Lord Rama is mauled by Rawana
* Lady with Fruit
* A Family of Beggars
* Shantanu and Matsyagandha
* Lady Giving Alms at the Temple
* Lord Rama Conquers Varuna
* Nair Woman
* Romancing Couple
* Draupadi Dreading to Meet Kichaka
* A Lady Playing Swarbat
* Shakuntala Composing a Love Letter to King Dushyanta
* Girl in Sage Kanwa's Hermitage (Rishi-Kanya)

Criticism of Raja Ravi Varma
Raja Ravi Varma is regularly criticized for the truth that his paintings overshadowed traditional Indian art forms because of their widespread reproduction as oleo graphs, surging Indian civilization with his translation of Indian myths, portrayed with a rather static realism. In favor of stiff academicism, Ravi Varma can be resolute as having in one stroke undermined traditional Indian art, which was both energetic and rich in appearance and content. One can find an illustration of this debate in the figures of Durga in West Bengal or in the tribe form of Madhubani Paintings. In comparison, Ravi Varma's approach clearly deficient this dynamism of expression. Further, his approach of frontality has mordant limitations in terms of space and action. By ignoring the traditional models of representation (for example, the Chitrasutra, the treatise on art outlined in Vishnudharmottara Purana), he has reduced epic heroes to the level of common humans, a form that has been copied in many depictions of mythic history in other media such as cinema and television.